Wizard
Athasian wizards drain energy from the surrounding soil. The method used labels the wizard as a defiler or a preserver. Preservers have the self–control to gather energy without destroying plants. Those who do not, or who feel no remorse about the damage caused, become Defilers. Defilers leave behind sterile soil and infertile ash when they cast spells. Because of this, most wastelanders blame wizards for the desert landscape that dominates the Tablelands today, and their hatred extends to defilers and preservers alike. In the seven cities, arcane magic is outlawed and feared. Writing is also illegal in the Tablelands, thus wizards have to go to great lengths to conceal their spellbooks, and they have refined this art to the point where even fellow wizards can be hard pressed to identify a spell book. When found, they are precious resources, hoarded and studied by wizards thirsty for knowledge or power. Making a Wizard The wizard’s greatest strength is also his greatest liability. Often wizards will conceal their abilities, learning to mask their spellcasting behind other actions. For all but the most powerful wizards, secrecy is of prime importance, and some will not exercise their power in the presence of those that they do not feel they can trust. Because of this, and because of their generally frail nature, wizards can often be seen as a liability by those not aware of the power they hide. Races: Elves and humans are the most likely to be wizards. Elves are more tolerant of the faults of magic, even at its worst, due to their nomadic nature. Defiling simply isn’t as much of a concern if the ruined land is fifty miles behind you by the end of the next day. The solitary life lead by most half‐elves makes it easier for them to conceal their wizardry, should they choose to follow that path. Some rare halflings and pterrans will take up the arts of wizardry, but these races are so closely tuned to flow of life on Athas that they will never willingly defile. Half‐giants, trusting and slow–witted, rarely become wizards, and those that do rarely survive for long. Dwarves rarely take to the magic arts, though their focus allows those that do to become exceptionally skilled. Thrikreen and muls almost never become wizards. Alignment: Overall, most wizards display a tendency towards lawfulness. The self‐control and restraint necessary to keep oneself secret, as well as the disciplined need for long days of studying take their toll on many of the less careful wizards. Most wizards of good alignment have developed the skill and control necessary to master preserving, and only in the direst of situations would a good‐aligned wizard defile. Neutral or evil wizards, however, are more likely to become defilers, though evil preservers are not unheard of. Class Features An Athasian Wizard has the following class features: Class Skills Add Bluff (Cha) and Disguise (Cha) to the wizard's class skills. Spells An Athasian wizard adds spells from the Athasian Wizard Spell List, in addition to those found in the Core Rulebook. Spellbooks In most places on Athas, reading is illegal and the practice of magic even more so. Wizards must develop ways to hide their spellbooks from curious eyes; else they face certain discovery and death. Athasian wizards conceal their “spell books” from templars, rival wizards and others by disguising them in animal hides, stone and clay tablets, bone staves, knotted giant hair and necklaces of colored beads. Wizards use different, often personalized codes and systems for organizing their spells. All of these collections of spells are referred to as “spellbooks” and function accordingly. The Disguise skill masks a spell book’s true nature. Someone inspecting the spell book must win an opposed Spellcraft vs. Disguise check to identify it as such. Every time a new spell is added, a spell book must be disguised anew. Unless in a hurry, a wizard normally takes 20 on this check. Arcane Bond Athasian wizards may choose from all familiars listed in the Core Rulebook, with the exception of toad and weasel, as these animals do not exist on Athas. In addition, Athasian wizards may also choose from the following familiars. Bonus Feats In addition to those listed in the Core Rulebook, Athasian wizards may choose from among the following feats instead: Agonizing Radius, Destructive Raze, Efficient Raze, Fast Raze, Exterminating Raze, Path Dexter, Path Sinister, and Sickening Raze. Playing a Wizard You are a master of arcane secrets. You have learned, either on your own, or from someone in your family, how to draw on vegetable life in order to power your spells. But such power comes with a caveat, arcane magic is universally feared and hated. You might be inclined to see conspiracies and enemies where none exist, so accustomed are you to being hunted and persecuted by the general populace and sorcerer‐king’s templars because of your talents. Mostly, you adventure to perfect your understanding and mastery of magic. You likely prefer endeavors that allow frequent use of your abilities, or those that promise access to ancient lore. You might have personal goals as well, and it’s not uncommon for an Athasian wizard to adventure for the sake of riches, power, eternal life, or any other “standard” adventurer motive. Religion Wizards frequently find themselves at odds with the elemental forces that grant clerics their powers, though it is not unheard of for preservers to forge an Elemental Pact. Some preservers might also associate themselves with the assorted Spirits of the Land. Since they understand the sorcerer‐kings to simply be exceptionally advanced wizards, they are not given to revering their kings, as some of their more naive brothers are known to do. Other Classes Wizards have a difficult time relating to most of the other classes. Templars and wizards are, in most cases, deadly enemies across an irreconcilable gap—the exception is those rare defilers in the employ of the sorcerer‐kings. Likewise, druids are likely to consider any wizard a potential defiler, and would turn on a companion the moment this suspicion is confirmed. Due to their similar, “underground” nature, wizards feel a certain respect for bards. While preservers enjoy an uneasy truce with the elemental powers, defilers and paraelemental clerics tend get along quite well. Combat Athasian wizards make use of the same general combat tactics as those described in the Player’s Handbook―that is, stay back from melee and use your spells to either destroy your enemies or enhance your companion’s abilities. One major difference from standard wizards is that secrecy is a major component, even more so if you are a defiler. Casting even of the simplest of arcane spells can focus all of your enemies’ attention to you, even more so if you are a defiler. Be prepared to run of fly away in such cases. Advancement Continuing your advancement as a wizard requires a substantial amount of time and effort. You must procure and study arcane texts, not merely to learn new spells, but to comprehend the nature of what you do. When you not studying, you are practicing, training your mind and your body to channel ever greater amounts of life force. As you start to progress in the class, consider studying other sources of arcane energy, such as the Black, the Gray, and the Cerulean, since those would remove your dependency on vegetable life around you. Most wizards seek to become some day as powerful as Dragon Kings or the fabled winged creature the Urikite known as Korgunard turned into. Mechanically, you should increase your Intelligence and Charisma as you attain levels. Beyond this, focus on feats (such as Path Dexter or Path Sinister) and skills that enhance your spells and provide you the abilities you need to remain in secrecy, mainly Bluff and Disguise. Wizards on Athas “’Witch!’ they chanted. ‘Kill the witch!’ By the time the soldiers woke, the crowd had finished her off, and worse. The mage’s death did not satisfy the mob; her body suffered much more. When the mul leader shouted, ‘we’ll take her and burn her!’ they cheered. For the only time in my life I saw a crowd cheer for Kalak’s guards. For the first time I saw wizard’s magic. For the first time I understood its peril.” ―Manok, Tyrian wizard On Athas, the energy for wizardly magic doesn’t come from some extradimensional source as it does on other worlds, but from the living environment itself. It provides great power to those who can gather and shape it, though the cost to Athas can be beyond measure. In recent times wizards have emerged who have learned to draw energy from alternate sources that have no impact on the environment, see Prestige Class Appendix I for more information. Defiling and Preserving Each time a wizard casts a spell he must make a decision, To do it in a way that preservs as much life as possible, or sacrifice natures life-blood on the alter of self-preservation and power. In short, he must decide to preserve or to defile. While defiling may seem tempting, it may be that the cost to the wizard in the end will be to high. See rules for this in the chapter Magic on Athas. Daily Life The kinds of activities that appeal to wizards depend largely on their alignment and energy gathering method. Good wizards spend their time trying to restore the devastation of Athas and fighting against the forces of the sorcerer‐kings, while evil preservers of defilers are interested in helping themselves. When not adventuring, Athasian wizards spend the majority of their time in study and in hiding. Much like wizards from other settings, they must constantly research new spells and study ancient arcane texts so thoroughly that they have little time to devote to other endeavors. Notables Usually wizards try to stay incognito for as long as they can, since their survival depends on it. However, a few wizards manage to become quite famous on Athas. Royal defilers and arena necromancers, such as Dote Mal Payn, even though hated by the general populace are sponsored by their sorcerer‐kings and do not need to hide their skills. Sadira of Tyr was made famous for her contribution in killing King Kalak the Tyrant and the Dragon, and she has become the first (and maybe the only one) wizard able to tap into the power of the crimson sun. The most famous wizards are the Dragon Kings, of course, who can destroy both plant life and living creatures to power their spells. Organizations Wizardly magic on Athas isn’t as codified and formal as it is in other campaign settings. For example, there are no academies or colleges for teaching the wizardly arts. Instead, a wizard‐in‐training must find a teacher, which isn’t very easy in a world where wizards must hide their profession in order to survive. For protection from nearly universal hatred, the good wizards of Athas and their allies have formed secret societies, collectively known as the Veiled Alliance. However, each city‐state holds a different Alliance, they do not cooperate, and they share no leaders. Members of one Alliance do not automatically become members of another. At best, the different groups respect each other, and may offer courtesy assistance to a foreign member who arrives in town. Defilers don’t usually organize together, but they often join organizations, especially Merchant Houses and raiding tribes. NPC Reactions Arcane magic in Athas is viewed as more dangerous and destructive than helpful, so general NPC attitudes towards someone suspected to be a wizard range from indifferent to unfriendly. If a NPC actually witness a wizard drawing magical energy or casting a spell, the resultant fear and hatred shifts the NPC’s attitude toward hostile. Arcane magic is banned in almost all city‐states; Tyr has unbanned it after FY 0 after Kalak was killed and Kurn has no qualms about preserving magic. Templars constantly patrol the streets searching for wizards and arcane items.